Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka held on for a tough second-round win at the Australian Open on Wednesday, but last year's finalist Zheng Qinwen became the first Top 10 seed to fall this week.

Aryna Sabalenka is not entirely shocked about the sudden demise of Zheng Qinwen who failed to make it to the third round after losing to the tricky German, Laura Siegemund.

Zheng Qinwen is out of the Australian Open after a shock defeat to Germany’s Laura Siegemund. Zheng, the No. 5 seed and last year’s beaten finalist, lost 7-6(3), 6-3 after her serve unraveled in the fourth game of the second set.

While there have been plenty of surprises in the men’s bracket so far, most of the top women have progressed through the draw without an issue.

Qinwen Zheng, the No. 5 seed and 2024 Australian Open runner-up, was handed a shocking second-round defeat by world No. 97 Laura Siegemund on Wednesday.

Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka survived a first Australian Open test, but last year’s beaten finalist Zheng Qinwen suffered a shock second-round exit. The Chinese star reached her first grand slam showpiece here last year before going on to win Olympic gold and establish herself as one of the best players in the world.

“I tried not to do too many fancy things, but really stick with my clear plan,” is how Laura Siegemund explained her second-round upset of Zheng Qinwen, the second-place finisher at last year’s Australian Open.

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — It wasn't often pretty, but two-time defending Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka extended a few impressive streaks on Friday while becoming one of the first players to advance to the fourth round of the year's opening Grand Slam tournament.

Zheng lost the 2024 championship match at Melbourne Park to Aryna Sabalenka ... 36-year-old Siegemund, who played aggressively from the first point and put Zheng off her game. Sabalenka, the ...

Zheng lost the 2024 decider at Melbourne Park to Aryna Sabalenka and went on to win ... 6-3 loss on John Cain Arena against 36-year-old Siegemund, who attacked from the first point and put Zheng ...

MELBOURNE – Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen won’t be repeating her surprising run to the Australian Open final in 2025 after a second-round upset loss to No. 97-ranked Laura Siegemund on Wednesday.